Harry Potter and the Enigmatic Incantation
by wordgetsaround86
Summary: Six new students arrive at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, what is it they'll bring with them...
1. New Gryfinndors

As Harry walked into the Great Hall, he immediately noticed the hushed whispers and people glancing around the room looking for something he clearly hadn't heard about. He gave a look of sheer bewilderment to Ron – his red-haired best friend – who simply raided his eyebrows, that undoubtedly meant he'd noticed the atmosphere and was just as bemused by it.

Harry and Ron walked through the house tables, and sat on the benches next to Lee Jordan and Fred Weasley – who were sitting talking together and it was clear they didn't want to be overheard.

"What's all the secrecy about?" Ron asked.

"I dunno, but it seems that we're the last to know, whatever it is, for a change, eh?"

Just at that moment a bushy haired girl with a pretty face came bounding down towards them, "did you hear? Did you hear?" Before they could answer her she carried on, "There's some new students starting here for school this year, and they're in our year! It's so exciting!" Hermione exclaimed with an air of utmost excitement.

"Oh look boys! The junked up little mudblood's got herself all excited about our new peers" Draco Malfoy clapped his hands in mock excitement – "Do you really think students from a school as er… 'specific' as there's will really want to make friends with the likes of you lot? My guess is they'd mush rather befriends more _pure_ wizards." Malfoy looked around at his cronies who all guffawed and squealed as Malfoy sneered towards the Gryfinndors.

"Malfoy do you think you're ugly mug's really going to attract people to you?" Harry asked with a smug smile. Ron pushed Harry around to face Hermione, as Malfoy turned back to his friends after being distinctly knocked off his pedestal.

It was only now that Harry knew something important was happening that he noticed the Great Hall had been decorated extra specially for the night. Hung behind the teacher's table was a giant tapestry of the Hogwarts crest – a lion, a serpent, a badger and an eagle intertwined around the letter 'H'. Floating in mid-air in what seemed to be tiny sparkling Hogwarts crests was the words "Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus". The motto of the school Harry cared so much about. His eyes glanced over the house tables, each of the house emblems was hanging from the roof, and the tablecloths were also patterned with the associated house emblems. Thousands of candles were floating a few feet above their heads and they cast an almost romantic glow across the shining gold plates, goblets and cutlery. The enchanted sky was shimmering as the 'northern lights' twinkled across it.

Mesmerised by the colours of the ceiling Harry hardly noticed Ron jabbing him in the side, until he punched him in the shoulder to get his attention. Ron pointed his head to the table of Professors, and Harry immediately saw why. Professor McGonnagall had just rushed in and was now talking to Dumbledore, as she sat down in her chair next to half-giant Hagrid. Dumbledore cleared his throat and the few students who hadn't already noticed he was on his feet, quietened.

"Good evening students and teachers. As I'm sure you will all know by now, we are to be joined by some new student's tonight- six to be precise. They are joining us form another wizarding school on foreign soil. However all six students are British and simply migrated to another country before they reached the Hogwarts enrolment age. Fortunately for us, their parents and headmaster got in contact with me and I gladly accepted their wish to be enrolled here with us. I sincerely hope that my stretch of warm welcome will reach all of the students and teachers here." He looked around the Hall with a hint of a grin, many students returned this to him, "they shall be arriving any time now, and the feast will begin after they have arrived I ask that you be patient and chat amongst yourselves until they have joined us."

Harry, Ron and Hermione talked about their dreadful potion lesson they had to endure earlier that day. Professor Snape – Potions master – had been exceptionally unkind to Harry, which made this lesson no different to any other. Harry and Snape's relationship was one of utter resentment and hatred, where both detested each other more than anything either could describe.

Whilst putting some silverwood into his cauldron Ron had sneezed, he'd given Harry such a scare he knocked his cauldron over and spilled all its contents on the floor. Snape had been so annoyed he'd made Harry clean the insides of all the store cupboards. Where Harry had thought it would be extremely wise and useful to try and remember the names of as many of the potions, oils, powders, essences, tails, claws etc as he could. In case he ever needed to 'borrow' some again. Just like he had in his second year for his, Ron and Hermione's Polyjuice Potion.

Just as the Hall was submerged in a heavy air filled with gossiping conversation, the doors swung open. Every head in the Great Hall turned to watch the schools caretaker walk in – Argus Filch. He walked into the Hall and up towards the teacher's table, caressing the stomach of his cat, Mrs Norris. It wasn't until Harry noticed Hermione still looking in the direction of the doors that he became aware of the six, nervous looking teenagers standing in the doorway.

Dumbledore stood up and gestured the students towards him. Every face followed the newcomers as they walked between the tables. Looking around the hall bewitched by its decorations. Professor McGonnagall rushed forward and placed a stool in front of Dumbledore and surprisingly placed the sorting hat. Harry realised that if the new students were staying they'd have to be put into houses.

Harry watched the students enquiringly; there were two girls and four boys. McGonnagall was explaining something to them, most likely what they were supposed to do with the hat, as they all had a face of bemusement and curiosity.

"Beaton, Victoria" McGonnagall called. All eyes fell upon a girl with shiny, wavy hair sprawled down her back. As she turned and sat at the stool, the huge hat was placed on her head, and she smiled down at he the other girl who returned it. She was very pretty with hazel eyes, and looked thoroughly exultant as she moved to sit down at the table full of Gryfinndors – where she had been sorted. She mouthed something to the other girl, who howled with laughter and then immediately Lee Jordan fell into conversation with her.

Then a tall, lanky boy with untidy hair stepped forward when "Buchan, Kristofer" was called. The hat had barely touched his head before it shouted 'Hufflepuff!' All the Hufflepuff's stood up and clapped and cheered to welcome Kristofer to the table, he gave a small wave of appreciation and silence fell once more. Liam McKenzie was then put into Ravenclaw. He was very good looking with blonde, spiky hair and bright blue eyes and it seemed he was very sporty, as his muscles were visible through his robes.

"Morgan, Josephine" shouted McGonnagall. Nobody moved forward. A girl with auburn, curly hair was in silent giggles with a short, chubby boy next to her. Suddenly an immensely tall boy behind the pair, tapped Josephine on the shoulder and told her, her name was being called. She stumbled forward and reached a tight-lipped McGonnagall who merely pointed at the stool. Harry thought this girl looked kind of ungainly and a little ditzy, and was positive she'd be sorted into Hufflepuff. It took the hat a while with this newcomer, a few minutes past before the hat shouted "Gryfinndor!" Harry clapped and cheered with the rest of his housemates, he'd had been proven wrong and learned that first impressions can be misleading. He noticed Victoria Beaton was smiling widely, and was screaming as Josephine ran up to her and took a seat next to her after they exchanged a hug. The pair clearly were good friends as they chatted totally unaware that Wulfric Salamander has just been made a Slytherin. Victoria introduced her to Lee, and the Weasley twins, and they all shook hands and smiled politely before immersing in chuckles and banter.

Harry turned his eyes back to the unexpected sorting just as a tidy and 'proper' looking boy became a Slytherin and followed Draco Malfoys gestures and sat between him and Pansy Parkinson.

Dumbledore stood up and everyone became silent and watched him with eager anticipation. "Well, that's that! I know that after a hard days learning and a long days travelling, you must all be hungry so I will keep this short – dig in!" Students giggled as the empty platters before them became magically full of glorious food, and their goblets with different flavours of liquids.

As everyone was told it was time to go to bed, Josephine and Victoria walked up the enchanted staircase with Lee and the twins, talking each step in two. A few minutes later Harry and his friends gave the password to the Fat Lady and she swung open obligingly, they scrambled through the entrance to find it full with laughter. Victoria was sitting in a chair next to the crackling fire, and Josephine was sitting on the arm, both seemed to be the centre of attention as they talked of there old school. "-Yeah, it was twinned with bloody Durmstrang of all schools! Up to their eyes in Dark Arts they are! I'm not surprised that Kevin and Wulfric were put in Slytherin, eh Toria?"

"I know, they are two twisted little boys," she said smiling "Evil buggers! Can't trust either of them, I bet they're going to be in all our classes too, huh? I mean Kristofer and Liam are all right! Bit dull, but haven't got a nasty bone in their bodies I wouldn't think." Harry had never heard an accent like it and was extremely curious as to where Victoria was from, she was clearly Scottish but she sounded nothing like McGonnagall or Oliver Wood.

"It was Tealeaky School of Magic and Enchantments- Tealeaky for goodness sake! What in the name of God in '_Tealeaky_'?" Everybody laughed along with Josephine and Victoria, as Josephine then carried on discrediting her previous school.

Harry happily sat listening with everyone else and was duly interested in what the girl's last school was like. Hermione was in deep conversation with Victoria and Josephine was sitting talking to Fred, George and Ron. She excused herself and walked over to the windowsill where she sat, resting her chin on her knees, and leaning her head on the cool glass. Harry thought she must be tired after days travelling, a huge feast and all these questions. He simply sat watching her for a while. He was unaware of all the Gryfinndors around him talking excitedly about Tealeaky and the girls. Harry overheard George tell Lee he thought Victoria was 'hot' and Lee agreeing, he had to suppress a giggle as to not look like he had been eavesdropping on the pair. He cast a fleeting look over at Josephine again, and noticed a solitary tear trickle down her cheek. Curiosity overcame him and after watching her cry silently for a minute or two, he walked over to her.

Harry put his hand on her shoulder to draw her attention and asked, "You OK?" She turned her head quickly and immediately wiped her cheek and rubber the tear line away.

"Me? Yeah, yeah I'm fine, just ignore me!" She tried to brush off the awkwardness with a nervous laugh. Harry chuckled along with her but didn't seem to have found anything funny.

"I'm Harry by the way, Harry Potter"

"Nice to meet you Harry, I'm Josephine."

"I heard you're name being called at the sorting. So… are you and Victoria close?"

"Toria? Of yeah, she's my best friend I love her to pieces like!"

"She seems a nice person, Lee and the twins seem to have taken a liking to her anyway!" Josephine laughed and told Harry that 'Toria was a lucky girl then, he laughed back. "You see that red haired boy sitting over at that table dozing against a pile of books? That's Ron, he's my best friend, I think you were talking to him earlier. And Hermione (he pointed at the rug in front of the fire where a girl was sitting reading looking completely stressed) she's a really good friend of mine too. Are you missing people from Tealeaky?"

"Not really, they're all dark, dark wizards, into bad things over there. There's a really heavy emphasis on Dark Arts lessons; we got them every day I think they want to brain wash us all into following You-Know-Who. But I ain't that stupid, that's the reason most of our parents wanted us to move back home."

"Sounds bad?"

"It was, I hated every minute I had to spend over there! Only good thing was the exchange trips, were students from Durmstrang came and I got to meet this really famous guy, Viktor Krum, you heard of him? I still write to him, really nice guy, looks a little dull but once you get to know him you cant help but love him!"

"I've met him, I saw him at the World Cup too! He was here for the Tri-Wizard Tournament last year! Him and Hermione became really close." Harry explained. He found it easy to talk to this girl; they had lots in common it seemed. They talked of Quidditch and Harry couldn't wait to tell Ron he'd found him a fellow Chudley Cannon's supporter.

"I'm sorry but I'm going to go to bed, I'm bloody knackered!" Most people were in their beds by this time, it must have been late Harry thought he bid her good night as she walked up the stairs. "Sweet dreams Harry!" she said as she waved and then disappeared up the spiral staircase. As Harry walked up to his dormitory he wandered where the two new girls would be sleeping as the dormitories were only built for five beds not seven. Harry fell asleep almost instantly feeling that he and his housemates had made a good impression on the new students, and that he'd made two new friends.


	2. Care of Magical Creatures

Harry arrived at Charms the next day to find everyone outside waiting for Professor Flitwick to come. He smiled as he passed Josephine and Victoria, who both politely smiled back before Josephine's cheeks turned rosy pink and Victoria, erupted in a fit of furious giggles. Ron waved him over to where he was standing with Hermione.

Harry was greeted by an uproar of arguing, and in order to avoid another screaming match Harry started talking to Dean Thomas about West Ham United's dreadful performance in the league, and then took his usual seats with Ron and Hermione when Flitwick arrived. Victoria, Josephine and the two Slytherins – Wulfric and Kevin – stood at the door politely waiting to be told where to sit. It was a short while before Flitwick realised that they were there and told them to take seats wherever they wanted. They chose spare seats on the bench next to Harry and his friends, where Hermione bombarded them with questions about what lessons were like at Tealeaky School.

To make sure that everyone was up to speed, especially the new students, Professor Flitwick did a revision lesson focusing on Summoning and Banishing charms. As items flew overhead all around the classroom, Kevin and Wulfric were talking in whispered voices. The two boys kept pretty much to them selves through out the lesson, whereas Josephine and Victoria spoke freely with Harry, Ron and Hermione. "Harry told me who support the Cannon's, that true? Or is he just winding me up?" Ron asked Josephine in an accusing tone of voice, as though it was her fault Harry was teasing him.

"It's true! Always have, my whole family support them. Of course it was difficult to keep up when I was at Tealeaky but yeah I support them, got posters all over my dorm already!" Josephine replied. Ron looked immensely relieved not to have fallen for one of Harry's jokes again, but even more excited to have someone – a girl – who he could talk about the Cannon's and Quidditch with.

The lesson ended and as everyone was packing up their things Kevin's bag split open, Josephine and Victoria bent down to help him pick up the quills, parchment, and books that spilt. Whereas Harry ran across the room to catch the rolling ball that looked distinctly like a rememberall, when he passed it back to Kevin he looked disgruntled and grabbed it with a mumbled 'thanks'.

As all the students made there way down to Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid, Victoria was explaining to Hermione that they had never been taught about magical creatures except in Potions and Dark Arts at Tealeaky School. Unfortunately, this lesson was also with the Slytherins and as Kevin and Wulfric pushed past with Malfoy and his crowd, Josephine shouted "Hiya Kevin!" Both groups stopped on the path towards Hagrids hut, Malfoy's and Harry's.

"What? Why you talking to me, blood traitor!" Kevin said sounding outraged.

"What you going on about, you bloody fool! Blood traitor? My father was a wizard! So I'm technically just as much as a wizard as you are! You're mums a witch, you're dads a muggle, so get out of it you fricking idiot!" Josephine was shouting and many of the students had gathered around to watch what might happen next, but she merely pushed through Malfoys gang and carried on walking towards Hagrids, Harry and Victoria an the others followed suit, leaving Malfoy and Kevin dumbstruck.

"How dare you address us, as if we are equals! Hanging around with mudbloods, someone who hasn't got enough money for a new set of quills, Harry Potter, and God knows what she is!" Malfoy shouted pointing at Victoria.

"As if it's any of you're business but my mother and father and both pure blood wizards and work at the Ministry of Magic in Britain now. So I'm just as _pure_ as you, as if it actually matters anymore." Victoria claimed calmly before starting to walk away. Malfoy raised his wand in order to curse Victoria, but both she and Josephine were too quick for him.

"TITILARUS!" The pair bellowed wands pointed at Malfoy. They hut him with a spell to make you're arms keep growing and keep tickling you until you drink "Titillaserum". Malfoy didn't know what was happening to him, and ran off back towards the school, with his friend running behind him. "And next time you're going to say things like that about people we like make sure neither of us can hear you! Or it'll be worse next time!" Josephine cried. She and Victoria simply put their wands back into their robes and kept walking. An awe-struck Ron came running after them and congratulated them. Hermione spoke of how they were going to get into trouble now as Malfoy relishes in getting Gryfinndors into trouble. Harry however, hung back smiling to himself and merely nodded in agreement as he spoke of the look on Malfoys face when the hut him with the spell.

"Well that Kevin's a nasty piece of work!" Hermione said.

"We told you last night, it's only over the past year or so he's turned into the 'superior being' he thinks he is. He used to be really nice we we're good friends, that's why Josephine said hi, its really strange he just changed over night, round about the time his dad came back. Nobody knows were his dad was he just arrived back on the scene one day and everyone accepted it." Victoria shrugged off what she had just said and waited eagerly for her first Care of Magical Creatures lesson.


	3. Two Surprises One Night

At dinner that night Harry was sitting talking with the Weasley twins about what the new girls had done and said to Malfoy and his friends. It would be no exaggeration to say that every Gryfinndor was very impressed and that night Josephine and Victoria were heroes in the common room.

It quickly became clear to the pair that Draco Malfoy wasn't liked, and neither was any other Slytherin for that matter. Hermione seemed concerned about Kevin Silverton and his sudden change of character and had went to the library. Harry and Ron explained that this was typical Hermione behaviour – "no matter what you're feeling the library will hold an answer in on way or another."

The night pounded on and Victoria was describing what happened for what seemed the fiftieth time to a small group of older students, at the long oak table beside the window. Once she'd finished telling the story most of the group drifted off, but one boy hung back and Josephine could hear them laughing at each others jokes over all the racket of the common room. She was sitting in an armchair at the warm fire, and the orange light from the fire made her hair shine a ginger that would rival Ginny Weasley's. Harry was playing wizards chess on the floor in at Josephine's feet.

"I think we've got a second Hermione here?" Ron said pointing his thumb up at Josephine.

"I doubt it no-one could be as bad as her!" Harry said in a soft voice and they both stifled laughs. "Then again she is doing homework we've only just got! Hey Josephine how come you're doing Flitwicks homework already?"

Josephine looked up flustered, "Oh…I … I just thought I'd get it out of the way you know, if I do my homework on the day I get it, I know I'll never have to worry bout doing it the night before you see. So I've got more time to practice Quidditch, hang around with friends and play wizards chess of course! Plus I've still got loads of the castle to discover tonight, I only managed about a fifth last night!"

"What! You've been out around the castle at night? Hehe I like it! Where'd you go? How come Filch didn't catch you?" Ron asked, this girl broke the rules of her own accord she didn't need encouragement, Ron was beginning to like her.

"I just went out for a stroll around the castle with my wand for company and a map of the grounds, who's Filch anyway? Oh is that the caretaker? I did meet him and his retched cat. I used a memory charm on him and changed his memory so after one minute he'd have forgotten ever meeting me! Memory charms are really handy you know."

"You can do memory charms?" Said Harry very impressed, "What would you have done if someone else had seen you, you wouldn't have adjusted there memory?"

"No of course I wouldn't, just Filch doesn't seem like a nice bloke. If I met another teacher… I would just jump that hurdle when I came to it. Can you not do memory charms? We have to do them in third year at Tealeaky but that's probably just so that you can adjust the minds of people so they follow Voldemort!" Ron jumped so much his knees knocked the chess pieces all over the board, they all got up and began to compose themselves before walking back to their squared extremely disgruntled. Harry made a mental note not to go near a Slytherin ex-Tealeaky pupil as he might not remember anything he had said or heard if they could use memory charms. He also wandered how long it would be before Malfoy and all Slytherins had been taught how to use them too.

The portrait whole swung open and Hermione scrambled in and came and sat next to Ron on the floor. She thumped a huge book onto the floor and jumbled past what seemed like hundreds of pages, until she suddenly stopped and pointed forcefully at page two thousand and thirty eight. "There, I found it! That is if his first names Newt."

Harry and Ron exchanged confused looks before Harry asked, "Found what? Who's _Newt_?"

Hermione picked up the book which they could now see was called 'Dark Wizards and Where to Find Them: A Revised Edition 2002', cleared her throat and read aloud, somewhat professionally sounding, "_…many Death Eaters used curses in order to control innocent people into following out there orders. It often went as far as murder after the innocent victim had been used to do as much as they could. One such wizard was caught outside the town of Auderhagen, Switzerland. After being caught with the offending wand in his hand (discovered using 'Prior Incantantem') Newt Silverton, was sent directly to the nearest Wizarding prison in Switzerland. His releases date is rumoured to be coming up soon and he has swore never to revert to his 'dark' ways again, and has also sworn he will never be associated with the likes of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named again. The words of a criminally minded man must be taken with an air of suspicion especially in this case considering the dreadfulness of Silverton's crimes." _Everyone traded bewildered and worried looks, as Hermione looked proud as ever to be the one who discovered it. It was she who spoke first, "you see, Kevin's dad must have been in prison for using the Imperius Curse on people and he got out a year or so ago. I bet he's got Kevin under it to, in order to recruit more supporters, cause Josephine you said he used to be a nice boy, so it must be what it is."

"Wow Hermione! How did you know where to look? Yeah his name is Newt! I can't believe you figured that out, in all the time I've known him I never thought to do that." Hermione sat legs crossed, bolt upright, sitting as if she were royalty, austerely smiled in gratitude to Josephine's flattering remarks. Ron however merely mumbled something about having nothing better to do with her time, but only loud enough for Harry to hear. But even Harry had to admit it was quite impressive.


	4. The Prefects Bathroom

That night the rain pounded against the Gryfinndor Tower's windows, as hard as boulders. Harry couldn't sleep although he was tired, he couldn't help but want to run to Dumbledore and scream from the rooftops that Kevin could be under a curse and that was why he was acting as he is. Hermione had however warned him against this, and advised them all that they should wait for more evidence before they told anyone what they suspected.

Downstairs in the common room Victoria was still talking to her male friend, and as Josephine came creeping down the stairs she could hear there laughter, she almost thought about turning back, but decided against it. Victoria was startled to see anyone in the common room at this time and so was the boy clearly as they both jumped when Josephine spoke, "Toria, can I have a word over here?" Victoria wandered over to her friends curiously. "I'm away to go round the castle again, and wondered if you wanted to come with me? You don't have to but you can if you want just you can't tell you're pal where I'm going, 'cause he might tell someone."

"I'd love to and any other night I probably would but I want to stay here and talk to Oliver some more," Victoria winked. "Rain check?"

"Sure, what was that? Oh God, someone else is coming down the stairs, why isn't everyone sleeping?" She laughed naughtily, knowing that she should be tucked up in her bed fast asleep. A body emerged at the bottom of the stairs - it was Harry.

"Hey Harry, what's up? Couldn't sleep?" Victoria's friend asked.

"Something like that. Why's everyone down here?"

"Everyone there's only four of us!" Josephine pointed out.

"Oh right, how come you're out of bed then?" Harry questioned her as Victoria's friend walked over to join in the conversation.

Victoria introduced him, "Josephine this is Oliver, Oliver Wood isn't it?" He nodded.

"Nice to meet you Oliver, I'm Josephine." She smiled back at him, and for the first time just how handsome he was. He was tall over six feet at least, deep blue eyes, mousy brown hair, and a smile to die for.

"Harry come here, I'm away to go for a midnight stroll again, want to come?" Josephine thought this the only way to get out of the situation. Harry said he'd come and ran upstairs to put some shoes on and fetch his wand. When he returned he was carrying a silvery material over his arm, he immediately told her in a low voice that this was an invisibility cloak and under the pretence of going back to bed the two bid good night to Victoria and Oliver. Headed for the stairs and when the reached the bottom step Harry swung the cloak over the to of them made sure they were totally covered and opened the portrait hole and climbed out. Victoria and Oliver were so absorbed in conversation they didn't even notice the door open or close.

"Where to?" Harry requested.

"Oh I don't know just wherever" she whispered her back aching from bending forward to ensure that no part of there body was seen.

"OK I know where we'll go, just walk slow and follow me." Harry stopped and hid behind a statue of a previous headmaster in the corridor, and spoke again after he'd taken a piece of parchment out of his pocket. "I do solemnly swear I am up to no good."

"Eh?" Josephine looked worried as she watched Harry unfold the parchment completely, and she watched, as ink seemed to appear out of nowhere. The Marauders Map had come in very useful for Harry in previous moments of mischief. Harry read the look on Josephine's face correctly and pointed out the moving names on the map, Dumbledore was pacing in his office, Filch and Mrs Norris were walking around the trophy room. "It shows you were everyone in the castle is at any time, look see there's us." Harry pointed at two tiny dots that looked like one big one as they were standing so close, labelled as 'Harry Potter' and 'Josephine Morgan'.

"Right nobody's coming lets go. Harry took Josephine's arm and led her across the corridor, round a corner then Harry whispered something into a door, which then became ajar and they stepped in. Harry loved this room and ever since Cedric had told him the password he took regular visits here. The mermaid in the picture on the wall was asleep, and Harry slid the invisibility cloak off before explaining where they were. "This is the Prefects bathroom, I'm not a Prefect but a Prefect I used to know gave me the password." Harry walked over to the huge bath in the centre of the room, and began to fill it with water. He lay the cloak, his wand and the Maurauders Map at the side of the bath to ensure none of his most treasured items got damaged in any way.

"Now Harry if this is all some delicate ploy to get me to take a bath with you, you're going to have to try harder than this!" She winked at Harry, who went slightly red and smiled before busying himself with the taps.

"Watch this," he told her as he started to turn one of the taps. What seemed to be rainbows bounced there way across the full bath, "try one!" She knelt down and turned a tap, when dark purple clouds came out and started to float across the water that looked dense enough to walk on Josephine let out a squeal of excitement. "Sshhh!" Harry warned her that someone might hear them, especially if she started screaming. Josephine tried every tap once before rolling up her pyjama bottoms and sat on the edge of the bath; Harry came round and did the same before sat next to her. Paddling their feet in the water warmed the pair up. It was late at night all the fires that were normally well lit were out at this time so it was freezing in the castle.

They sat and spoke for hours on end, and only decided it was time to go when Harry fell into the bath and soaked all his clothes. Josephine had got a scare and squealed because she thought something had brushed up against her leg in the water. Harry had got such a scare at Josephine shouting he'd slipped off the edge into the pool. After climbing back out to howls of laughter from Josephine he explained that it had been his leg that had brushed up against hers and that she was a "bloody idiot!" He couldn't stay mad for long, especially when she went and found the biggest, most fluffy towels for help him stay warm and dry off. It didn't take long before they were both in fits of giggles and couldn't see through the tears in their eyes.

They tidied up the bathroom, as somehow the bubbles were everywhere, all over the floor, walls and ceiling. Then they checked the Maurauders Map and left the bathroom behind, and promised each other they would return another night. When the went out into the hall, the sun gleaming through the windows blinded them, and they wandered how long they had been in there for. It was only when they started to see people walking around that they began to worry that it was breakfast time. They hid behind a Goblin statue this time to take off the cloak, but before they had begun to take it off they heard a voice.

"…How can I? That's too hard, impossible… I should WHAT? Yes, they all trust me, Draco especially. I don't care what Lucius will think! They'll never suspect me no... There's no way I can manage that! I'll try but no guarantees… I can't talk again until tonight. Later." Kevin Silverton emerged from a doorway across the hall, putting something round into his bag and zipping it closed hastily. Harry and Josephine ran and checked the doorway; there was nobody there, unless they were wearing an invisibility cloak too. What was Kevin being asked to do? What _would_ Lucius Malfoy think?

Harry and Josephine kept the cloak on until they reached the common room and when they were sure nobody was watching they slithered it off. Just in time to meet Hermione, "Where have you been? We've been up half the night worried sick? Ron woke up in the middle of the night and you weren't in you're bed and you weren't here in the common room either what were we supposed to think! Have you been with _her_ all night?"

Harry thought that Hermione's emphasis on the word 'her' was completely uncalled for, Josephine hadn't forced Harry to go out she'd asked and he'd accepted. After he explained to Hermione what had happened, why they went out and what they saw Kevin doing, her anger faded away and turned into inquisitiveness. Harry felt that explaining they had broke into the Prefect's bathroom and sat in there for hours, would not be wise at his time, and he felt he'd leave that until she actually asked why they had been away all night.

At the breakfast table Ron joined the discussion explaining he didn't tell Hermione until he went downstairs found her sitting doing homework at four in the morning and she forced it out of him because he 'looked worried'.

Victoria and Oliver were next to join them in the morning, where they looked very cosy chatting away to each other with his arm around her neck. Many heads turned to watch them walk to their table, Harry knew that many of the girls would be very jealous of Victoria, as Oliver was a very popular young man. She sat down and explained to Josephine (Harry overheard) that they had sat up all night and just before they went to bed they shared a long kiss and he'd ask her to go out with him, and go to the Yule Ball with him, and she had graciously accepted. Victoria was then told an in depth version of everything Harry and Josephine had got up to last night, expressing her worries with the Kevin situation, and what Hermione had found out last night. Victoria shared her concerns with the group before turning to Oliver and talking to him about something he had said the night before. "Do you think we can trust her? Will she tell Wood?" Hermione asked Harry and Ron.

"She won't not if she's said she won't", Hermione made a sound of disbelief before Josephine carried on, "I would trust her with my life, if she says she won't tell anybody she won't tell anybody."

"Well if Rosy Josey trusts her then I trust her." Harry pledged, before he and Josephine erupted with laughter.

"_Rosy Josey_?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah its Josephine's new nickname, I made it up last night when we were in the bath." He retorted coolly.

"When 'we' were in the bath?"

"Yeah, well er… we kind of spent a while in the prefects bathroom! It was a really good laugh Hermione you'll have to come next time, and you Ron, and Victoria and Oliver!"

"Cool, sounds good to me!" Ron replied excitedly.

"Er… no thanks, I'm sure I'd have just as much fun with Moaning Myrtle."

The rest of breakfast was eaten in silence except for Oliver and Victoria chattering in the background. After she'd finished her breakfast Hermione stormed off towards potions, at least fifteen minutes early. And there was no way Harry was going to potions fifteen minutes early.


	5. The Beast and the Boy

_Chapter Five: The Beast_ and the Boy 

The rest of the day, Hermione gave Harry the cold shoulder, ignoring him in all of their classes together. This mystified Harry, as he had no idea what was up, and took a mental note to ask a girl about this, as they were most likely to know.

After their last class Harry and Ron walked towards to the Gryfinndor common room to drop their bags before dinner. The corridors were cold, and Harry had wrapped up in dragon skin gloves and a woollen maroon and gold hat. The lit torches along the bare brick walls created a mystical golden glow over the student's faces as the sun was setting in the distance.

Just as Harry and Ron walked in, Dumbledore stood up and began addressing the pupils, so they hurried to their seats. "Good evening students! I'm hoping you are all well on this fierce November night. I merely have one announcement before we all settle down to have our dinner. As I'm sure you are all aware it is approaching December, and in December Hogwart's has its most spectacular annual event, The Yule Ball. This event allows both students and professors to let their hair down so to speak, and celebrate the festive season. Students are generally expected to come with a partner from within the school, but unfortunately any students in first, second and third year can only attend if asked by an older student. The date of the ball will be the 14th of December, I am thoroughly looking forward to it and I hope you senior students are too. Now everybody, let's eat!" Dumbledore sat down at the top table and began eating his stew merrily.

"The Yule Ball, I'm so excited!" Declared Hermione.

"What's so great about it? All it means is another few weeks of misery as I try to work up the courage to ask someone to go with me, and eventually ending up going with my sister again!" Ron mumbled unenthusiastically to Harry, who nodded in agreement. The pair remembered the awful time they'd had last year trying to find partners before eventually Harry asked two girls for both himself and Ron to go with.

The hall was filled with an air of curiousity and excitement, the girls had less than a month to be asked to go with someone they liked and the boys had less than a month to ask someone they liked to go. The whole system seemed unnecessarily embarrassing.

As students filtered through the halls back to their dormitories, Harry could hear people still talking about the Ball and guessed that by tomorrow he'd be sick of the talk of it, and probably would no longer want to go, despite the fact it was rumoured that "The Hex" were coming to play (an immensely famous band within the wizarding world).

As Gryfinndor students sat up around the cosy fire chatting joyously together, Harry stared up at the roof in disbelief. He was having the strangest daydream; he was waltzing around the great hall with a dragon for a partner. This dragon was special, it was silvery in colour and had sheen over its skin, creating a glossy look, and it was beautiful. Harry felt exhilarated and was smiling continuously, yet he had the overwhelming feeling of plummeting in the pit of his stomach. The dragon let him go, he was falling from a great height and could not see the ground he just kept falling...

"Hellooooo...? Harry? Ron, should we go get the nurse he's been sitting like this for ten minutes now!"

"What's going on?" Harry looked up to see Ron and Hermione's faces peering back down at him.

"You fell of you're chair and have been lying smiling to yourself for about ten minutes! What were you thinking about" Hermione told him, with a tone of caution.

"Em... just dragons."

"Well maybe you should go work with my brother mate, if dragons make you so happy and ignorant to everything around you!" Ron laughed. Harry chuckled along with him, but inside wandered what that was all about. Why had he been dreaming about dragons? Hermione left to go up to bed, leaving Harry and Ron alone in the common room because they weren't tired at all. They wandered over to the fire to sit in there favourite chairs but discovered Josephine curled up in one of the chairs fast asleep. "How long's she been there?" Ron asked.

"Dunno, I never seen her till just now." The two sat up talking about classes, but when Ron made an incredibly funny joke about Snape and whether he was able to see through the grease running down his forehead into his eyes, the two erupted in laughter, and Josephine stirred.

She got up and started to walk towards the stairs, blatantly ignoring the boys, until Ron shouted, "Oi! What's all this? You not talking, usually we can't get you to shut up!" She screamed and got such a scare she fell backwards over a small table, onto the flat of the back. She then started laughing wildly at herself and her stupidity. Harry and Ron rushed over to see if she was ok.

"You stupid idiots! What a scare to give someone! I didn't even see you sitting there, oh my goodness." They all laughed and spoke for a while sitting on the ancient heavily patterned carpet before she announced she was going to bed.

She hadn't been upstairs for five minutes, when she came pounding back downstairs again, giving Harry and Ron quite a scare. "Did you see that flash? Must be thunder and lightning outside!"

"What you talking bout? There wasn't a flash!" Ron told her. But the three of them walked over to the window to take a look outside. The skies were clear, and the reflections of thousands of stars could be seen in the window, the moonlight cast eerie shadows over the forest and Hagrids hut. But there had definitely been no lightning as there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Harry eyes glanced over the lake and the edge of the forest before he spotted it. A shadow standing in Hagrid's pumpkin patch looked about ten metres long the way the moon lit it from behind; Harry wondered what it could be. He hadn't noticed anything new being there that day in Care of Magical creatures, strange he thought. Then, the shadow moved, it must be alive whatever it is. He pointed this out to the others and Josephine pressed her face against the cold glace and Ron squinted to try and make out what this mystery shadow was. There was something lying on the ground to, it was huge like the body of some magical beast, Hagrid must have killed something that day and left it outside, which was very unlike Hagrid. Harry suddenly ran upstairs to his dorm, and came pounding back downstairs with his invisibility cloak in his hand, "I'm going to see what that is, you coming?"

They all went as fast as there legs could take them through the castles dark corridor's, hoping to get there before the shadowy creature had left, possibly back into the forbidden forest? They had run half way towards the castle doors before any of them realised that they were uncovered and could be seen. Harry swept the invisibility cloak loosely over them as they all ran furiously towards the door. It must have looked very strange to see the odd body part moving independently, very fast through the castle, as if floating in mid-air.

The freezing night air, hut there faces as if they had ran through a sheet of ice. Turning their noses scarlet and their cheeks crimson. They reached Hagrid's hut and stopped dead in their tracks – the beast looked up at them, but they couldn't see its face still. It raised its hand towards the group, who all took a few steps back. The invisibility cloak was still wrapped around them, tightly, how could this thing see them? They huddled together and moved sideways, hoping to make it to the front of Hagrid's, it became clear that the beast could see them as his hand followed them as they moved. "What is that thing?" Ron whispered.

"Just shut it! It might hear you!" Harry whispered anxiously.

They reached the wall of the hut and knelt down behind the stairs that led up towards Hagrid's door. Ron took the cloak off of them and they sat huddled together and thought about what they should do.

"What was it on the ground? Did you see? Oh my god! We're bloody stuck here until that thing leaves or comes and kills us!" Ron declared, in a hushed voice.

"I didn't really see it was a huge black lump on the ground, I think its another beast it's killed. It could be a gift or something for Hagrid, like one of his animal friends from the forest or something," Harry said hopefully.

"Well, I've heard of looking on the bloody bright side but I somehow doubt that's what it is!" Josephine said matter-of-factly.

THUD! The three jumped up, and saw the beast standing only a few metres away from them. Its arm moved up to the handrail and his fingers wrapped around the wooden pole, Harry noticed that it's hands looked just like a humans, but with its face still covered with its black robe he still couldn't see exactly what it was.

Suddenly its hand moved to its pocket where it pulled out a wand, he whispered and incantation before any of the students could move and hut Josephine with a spell, that forced her through the air and to land on her back about ten metres from Harry and Ron. Ron moved over to see if she was all right, her eyes were closed and she wasn't responding but she was still breathing at least. He looked over to Harry and shook his head as he raised Josephine's head onto his lap.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked the thing.

The beast laughed and moved towards Harry and Harry moved backwards, away from it. "This makes it even better, you're friend is dead and the famous Harry Potter can't figure out what happened!"

"My friend is dead? Josephine's going to die! What did you do to her? You'll be locked up in Azkaban before dawn for using the Avada Kedavra curse. Dumbledore will know, as soon as I tell him anyway!"

"Harry don't be such a fool nobody knows who I am, so how will he be able to punish me?" The beast sniggered heartily. He began to walk off, but as he walked past Josephine being held in Ron's arms, he bent over the pair and laughed in Ron's face, Ron grabbed its leg and the beast fell. It stumbled to its feet and stood on his own robe and it came undone and tore off. It rapidly became clear that this beast wasn't a beast at all, but was a boy, a teenage boy who was wearing a Hogwart's school uniform. He ran off towards the castle, Harry run after him straight into the castle. Josephine began to stir and opened her eyes, Ron quickly explained what happened before Ron helped her to her feet and the walked round to the pumpkin patch. Ron moved towards the covered black mass and pulled back the giant rug that was covering it, whatever it was. The mass groaned and attempted to roll over before moaning in what seemed like extreme pain, it moved its extensive hand to its head and pulled its hair out of its face, Ron jumped back in shock. "Josephine, it's Hagrid! Josephine, over here!" Josephine walked over to Ron in a somewhat dazed manner, holding her head with her hands. When she saw Hagrid's face she collapsed to her knees and fell onto him, and sobbed into his shoulder, Ron had one hand on her arm just so that she knew he was there, but the frightened expression on his face didn't make her feel any better about the situation. "Well, at least we know he's alive" Ron said in an attempt to convince Josephine and himself everything was going to be ok.

Thoughts of Harry filled Josephine's head; she wondered if Harry had caught that boy Ron had told her about and if he was all right. It wasn't long before Dumbledore arrived and swiftly told the students to get to their bed and he would explain to the whole school the next day. Harry elucidated that he hadn't caught the student and that Dumbledore thought he knew why Hagrid had been attacked but the headmaster had been very secretive and vague. Ron and Harry went to their dormitories as Josephine fell asleep in the hospital wing after Madam Pomfrey gave her a strong sleeping draught.

A week or so later, Josephine met up with her old friends in the great hall at breakfast time, even though all her friends had given her numerous visits daily to tell her all the gossip and news, it was refreshing to see them in a non-surgical surrounding. The tickets for the Yule Ball were to be collected later on that day, and everyone was excited. The group talked furiously about what had been happening the whole day, and before they knew it, it was time to collect their tickets.

It was chaotic in the corridors after dinner in the great hall as all the senior students went to collect their tickets from the Room of Requirement. A room that is hidden until it is needed and then automatically equips itself with whatever that person needs. When Harry walked into it, it was decorated with posters advertising 'The Hex' and a long table at the end of the room was littered with papers as three teachers rustled through them hastily.

They seemed to be waiting forever as students talked loudly about there partners, the girl standing behind Josephine, talked ecstatically about her partner. It wasn't long before everyone in the room found out that she was getting tickets for her and her boyfriend, a boy in his seventh year, and it turned out hat she was only in her fifth. Harry and Josephine exchanged exasperated looks as the girl looked towards them as if to include them into the conversation. "You two going together?" She asked.

"Oh no, we're not, neither of us have partners for the ball." Harry explained embarrassingly.

"Oh right, sorry. Just thought you two were going out, nevermind. I'm going with Eric, you know him he's a year older than you? Eric Banakournakova?"

"Never heard of him sorry!" Harry replied.

"Oh I'm being so rude," the girl laughed and her two female friends laughed along with her. She gave an air of being a member of the social elite within the wizarding world, by the way she spoke, Harry thought she probably was within the ordinary muggle world too. "I'm Kacy, Kacy McBloom, you're Harry Potter and you are?" She said in a tone, which made it clear she was asking Josephine's name.

Harry looked at Josephine, and answered for her, "She's Josephine Morgan."

"Ok cool, its such a shame that you don't have a partner Josephine, girls can't really go themselves, it's great you are though" she added as an afterthought, but Josephine took it as a personal ploy to embarrass her.

Harry and Josephine merely turned around and carried on talking to Ron and Hermione. It seemed Hermione was the only one with a partner, some boy in her Ancient Runes class from Hufflepuff had asked her and she had said yes.

The next week saw winter really hit Hogwart's castle, the snow covered the trees and the lake turned to ice, the castle was bitterly cold and it meant the days passed faster, and Harry could hardly believe it when the the Yule Ball was only a few days away.


End file.
